Technical Tuesday: GR Launches "GR KART" Entry-level Racing Kart

GAZOO Racing (GR) launched the “GR KART”―an entry-level racing kart developed to broaden hands-on access to motorsports for children and families―nationwide in Japan at kart tracks and GR Garage locations.

Racing karts offer the thrill of controlling a vehicle hands-on. But hurdles such as kart costs, transportation, storage, and maintenance await those who want to get into karting. By offering a price point and system for the GR KART that makes competing easier, GR aims to make direct involvement in motorsports possible for more people.

While advancing its mission of making ever-better motorsports-bred cars, GR is also working to broaden the base of motorsports and cultivate talent. Karting serves as an entry point to the joy of controlling a vehicle and is the first form of competition many race drivers experience.

Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda, aka Morizo, has long desired for motorsports to be an activity more people can take up, like baseball or soccer. The GR KART was born from a desire to make karting, a gateway to motorsports, more accessible and to create an environment in which anyone can experience firsthand the joy of vehicle control.

As a “carmaker-made kart”, each GR KART is carefully crafted, incorporating experience and ingenuity honed through Toyota automotive manufacturing. Gamagori GR KART Workshop, Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture, produces the GR KART, and the workshop’s small scale makes it ideal for tackling challenges and quickly testing innovative ideas and technologies.

Guided by Toyota Production System (TPS) principles, the workshop is committed to ensuring quality and continuously improving its manufacturing processes. Through these initiatives, GR is working to reduce costs and aims to create products that make it easier for newcomers to start and continue karting.

Main features of the GR KART
Pricing for ease of starting and continuing
The GR KART’s beginner-accessible price point results from various cost-saving measures. To make it easier to keep karting after purchase, the GR KART’s mechanisms simplify maintenance and adjustments, and its components are built for safety and durability.

Packaging that fits in a family minivan and can be stored upright
With ease of transport in mind, the GR KART fits into family minivans―such as the Toyota Noah or Toyota Voxy―without disassembly. This consideration lets users also transport it to kart tracks in an everyday vehicle*4, rather than needing access to a large, dedicated transporter.

Making the GR KART easy to store was also a key consideration. An upright-storage-compatible engine oil catch tank, a float-chamber-free diaphragm carburetor, and a fuel filler opening orientation that minimizes fuel leaks even when the kart is upright make upright storage possible without first draining the kart’s gasoline and engine oil.

Driving position adjustment mechanisms that allow everyone from children to adults to share the same kart
Sliding pedals and a tiltable steering wheel, each adjustable with a single touch, accommodate children and adults from 135 centimeters to 185 centimeters tall, meaning an entire family can share one GR KART.

Additionally, a weight box*6 capable of holding up to 15 kilograms of ballast for racing allows easy adjustment of the kart’s weight and includes a place to install a transponder.

A design that minimizes the hassle of maintenance and preparation, allowing focus on driving
Features incorporated throughout the design make maintenance easier.

A belt-drive system eliminates soiling from chain oil and includes an automatic tensioner that removes the need to adjust belt tension periodically.

The engine also has a built-in, self-charging battery, eliminating the need to mount a separate battery and the hassle of charging a battery.

A newly developed diaphragm carburetor designed for four-stroke engines minimizes the impact of fuel level fluctuations caused by lateral g-forces because it does not have a float chamber. Also, a primer pump draws fuel into the carburetor before starting, making pre-departure engine priming effortless.

Durability for long-term use and a safety design tailored to beginners
The design, which incorporates a rust-resistant stainless steel rear axle shaft and internal metal fuel lines in the fuel tank to minimize gasoline-caused degradation, aims for long-term durability.

The following safety design features are among those meant to ensure a sense of security for beginners:

A bumper shaped to prevent other karts from riding up onto a rear tire in the event of a collision
Rear-hub stopper pins to prevent the unlikely case of a rear hub detaching
A seat with a designated surface on its upper portion for resting hands when getting on or off the kart and shaped to shield hands from a hot muffler
A trouble-averting throttle cable mounting method aimed at preventing the throttle from sticking in the open position